This article was originally published on Washington times - National. You can read the original article HERE
Prince George’s County’s top prosecutor has expressed disgust over a 10-year prison sentence handed down to a Greenbelt man convicted of first-degree murder and who has ties to the MS-13 gang.
State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy said Tuesday that she was “disgusted” by the lenient sentence given to Anderson Diaz Blanco, 21, after a jury had found him guilty in the 2022 fatal shooting of Antoine Dorsey.
Sentencing guidelines called for life in prison for the execution-style murder, in which Blanco Diaz shot a kneeling Dorsey, 27, in the head at point-blank range, prosecutors said.
During the investigation, authorities discovered that Blanco Diaz had personal contacts who were in the Salvadoran street gang MS-13.
But Circuit Court Judge Darren Johnson suspended all but 10 years of Diaz Blanco’s life sentence during last Friday’s hearing.
“This family deserved justice,” Ms. Braveboy said during a media briefing. “My office worked hard to achieve justice — and we got it from the jury — and it feels like it was taken away, unfortunately, by the decision of the judge.”
Judge Johnson, who was appointed last year by former Gov. Larry Hogan, said the court “can consider evidence that was not admissible at trial” when determining a sentence.
The judge did not respond to media requests to elaborate on his reasoning.
“To hear that [Blanco Diaz’s] sentence got minimized to 10 years when he had life didn’t make any sense,” Sharbonte Dorsey, the victim’s twin sister, told ABC News affiliate WJLA-TV. “It was utter disgust. I just couldn’t believe it.”
Judge Johnson is running for one of the county’s four circuit court seats up for election on Tuesday. A total of five candidates are running in the election.
This article was originally published by Washington times - National. We only curate news from sources that align with the core values of our intended conservative audience. If you like the news you read here we encourage you to utilize the original sources for even more great news and opinions you can trust!
Comments